New Jersey Devils: 3 Surprises From The Athletic’s Player Cards

Jesper Bratt’s Valuation

It’s no secret that Jesper Bratt has been phenomenal this season, but just how good has he been? He has 32 points in 34 games and he has been the clear rock at the wing position this season. No matter where he is, that line becomes the top line on the team. He’s spent time with Jack Hughes, Dawson Mercer, and Nico Hischier this season. All three have a worse Corsi For percentage without Bratt than they do with Bratt. Hughes’ is especially worse.

Since pairing with Bratt, Hughes has grown back into a superstar. He struggled for the first two weeks after returning from his shoulder injury. After the Christmas break, the Devils paired Hughes with Bratt, and they had magic together.

That makes Bratt’s hockey card not too surprising, but it’s the star value he’s been given that jumps off the page. Bratt is in the top 10% of players when it comes to offence, assists, points, and Game Score Value Added (GSVA). The player cards also give a financial value to each player. This is especially important for Bratt who is in a contract year.

The card says Bratt is worth $8.9 million this season. Oh boy… No Devils fan thought they would have another $9 million player on their hands, but that is apparently what Bratt is worth to the analytics community. Now, The Athletic does have some inflated values because it doesn’t necessarily take team building into account. For example, Connor McDavid is worth $20 million, and he’s not even allowed to make that much money. It’s still a good reference point to see what the Devils might be in for in negotiations.